OMM Newsroom
The 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, known as COP31, will begin Monday in Antalya, Türkiye, bringing together heads of state, senior officials, academics and civil society representatives from around the world, Anadolu Agency reported.
First held in Berlin in 1995, the annual summit gives countries that are party to the convention a platform to review progress on tackling climate change, develop shared solutions and make decisions shaping global climate policies.
Türkiye will preside over this year’s conference, which runs from Nov. 9 to 20 and will address key decisions on sustainable development and climate policy.
A venue covering 1.1 million square meters, or 11.8 million square feet, has been prepared in Antalya. The conference’s theme is “COP of the Future – COP of Implementation,” built around three pillars: dialogue, consensus and action. Its aims include strengthening trust and cooperation among countries, promoting shared responsibility and turning climate commitments into concrete, measurable action.
Activities will take place in two designated areas, the Blue Zone and the Green Zone.
Blue Zone to host negotiations and high-level meetings
Official negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, high-level meetings and diplomatic talks will be held in the Blue Zone. Access will be controlled under UN accreditation rules.
The zone will also host side events, including panels on climate adaptation, clean energy, zero waste, sustainable cities, climate finance, technology, health and green transformation. Facilities include plenary halls, delegation offices, pavilions, a press and media center, and restaurants.
A five-petal structure called the “Time Tunnel,” covering 10,000 square meters, or more than 107,600 square feet, will house the Zero Waste Museum.
The Blue Zone’s largest plenary hall, with a capacity of 1,794 people, is named “Anadolu” and will host state and government representatives and official negotiations. Another plenary hall, with a capacity of 828, is named “Akdeniz”; the zone also includes an “Antalya Hall.”
One of the two press conference rooms is named after the Sufi scholar and poet Mevlana Rumi, while the other is named after Turkish poet and mystic Yunus Emre.
Other Blue Zone meeting rooms are named Selimiye, Evliya Celebi, Ayder, Gobeklitepe, Topkapi, Kackar, Zeugma, Cappadocia, Bosphorus, Patara, Sumela, Sezai Karakoc, Piri Reis, Harput, Mimar Sinan, Mount Agri, Lake Van, Troy, Fethiye, Pamukkale, Ephesus, Gallipoli, Ahlat, Uludag, Catalhoyuk and Aspendos. Side-event venues are named Uzungol, Lycia, Assos, Perge, Ahi Evran, Asik Veysel and Hattusa.
The Blue Zone will also feature a Tropical Butterfly Garden, offering visitors an interactive experience focused on nature, ecosystems and biodiversity.
Green Zone to feature public activities and cultural exhibits
Designed to encourage public participation, the Green Zone will include thematic centers where government agencies, businesses, academics, civil society organizations and young people can share climate solutions, technologies and best practices through exhibitions, concerts, panels, workshops and interactive activities.
Facilities in the area include the Türkiye Pavilion, Science Center, Green Industrialization, Resilient Cities, Energy and Transportation, Culture and Civilization, COPArt and Start-up Zone.
As part of the Zero Waste Movement, which has expanded globally, the venue will include a Zero Waste Hub, a Zero Waste Practice and Workshop Center, a “Seven Regions, Seven Homes” Zero Waste Kitchen, the Zero Waste Museum, and a Zero Waste Temporary Storage and Composting Center.
The Green Zone will also feature an “Antalya House” reflecting traditional Yoruk culture and a turtle pavilion built using zero-waste materials.
The largest Green Zone hall, with a capacity of 5,000 people, is named “Gaza Hall.” Other halls and meeting rooms are named after historical and cultural figures, including Ibn Sina, Nobel laureate Aziz Sancar, Al-Farabi, Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Haci Bektas Veli, Cacabey, Ahmad Yasawi, Afet Inan, Fatma Aliye, Al-Biruni and Osman Hamdi Bey.
The Green Zone’s “Anatolian Garden” will present the region’s heritage from the Hittite, Phrygian, Lydian and Lycian civilizations through the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods, with an emphasis on harmony with nature, hospitality and sustainable living.
Under the “Seven Regions, Seven Cuisines” concept, the conference will introduce visitors to Anatolia’s culinary heritage, local flavors and sustainable food culture. Visitors will be able to explore Mediterranean, Gaziantep, Kayseri, Zero Waste, Turkic World, Konya and Black Sea cuisines.
A crisis management center has been established in the Green Zone under the coordination of the Antalya Governor’s Office. It will include representatives from the provincial police and health directorates, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, the fire department, Antalya Water and Wastewater Administration, Aksu Municipality, electricity distributor AKEDAS and natural gas distributor ENERYA.
Five medical stations will operate across the venue, three in the Blue Zone and two in the Green Zone. Seven active ambulances and two reserve ambulances are planned, while 20 mobile National Medical Rescue Teams—nine in the Blue Zone and 11 in the Green Zone—will support emergency response.
A total of 27,957 personnel from police, gendarmerie and coast guard units will be deployed as part of security measures. For transportation, 630 low-emission, environmentally friendly buses supplied by 25 municipalities will serve conference participants.
